The Great Birthday Hunt
by JenRar
Summary: Stephanie plans a surprise for Ranger's birthday. This is number two in the Hunt Series, a sequel to Anniversary Surprise. You don't have to read it first, but it'll help.
1. Chapter 1: One Month Before

_Disclaimer: JE owns them. I do not. This is a sequel to my story **Anniversary Surprise.** It isn't absolutely necessary to read that first, but you'll be missing out if you don't! Warning for lemony goodness._

~oooOOOooo~

**The Great Birthday Hunt**

~oOo~

**Chapter 1: One Month Before...  
Stephanie's POV**

When the clock hit four, I stood up and stretched. I'd eaten lunch today while working so I could take off a couple of hours early. I had big plans and needed to talk to Tank. Setting aside a few searches to have Annie run in the morning, I grabbed my stuff and headed to Tank's office.

Knocking, I waited for his customary greeting, but was surprised when instead, he said, "Come in, Bomber."

I walked in, shutting the door behind me. "Psychic, Tank?" I laughed.

"Nope, just remembered you'd asked if you could come talk to me at this time today," he said seriously.

I took a seat on the couch, propped my feet up on his coffee table, and then pulled out my little notebook and a pen from my purse. "Tank, come relax. This is a fun discussion, I promise." I pointed to the other side of the couch.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Boss'll kill me if he sees me relaxing on company time, especially with his woman." He obviously wasn't _too_ worried, though, as he came over and took a seat on the other end of the couch, facing me. "So what's up?"

"I want to plan a surprise birthday party for Ranger. Remember the scavenger hunt a few months ago for our anniversary? I want to do something like that, only it'll end up at Rossini's with all the RangeMan crew, some other friends, and our families there. I know he's not a huge fan of birthday celebrations, especially for his own birthday, but I don't care," I said, laughing. "He'll play along because I'm doing it."

Tank grinned at me. "That's great, Steph. What can I do to help?"

"Okay, a few things. First, one of my gifts to him is that I'm going to try to bring Julie up here for the party and to stay a week. So if Rachel allows it, I'll need someone to pick Julie up at the airport and stash her at Ranger's parents' house."

Tank nodded. "Consider it done."

"Next thing has to do with the day of the party. I'm going to have him blindfold himself, and I'll need someone to drive him out to Rossini's. I believe that'll be your personal job, because if anyone can get him to go along with it, you can." He laughed, and I continued, "Finally, I want to get him a new custom-fit leather shoulder holster. I'll get his measurements from Ella, but I need to know the best place to order it from."

"That one's easy. Gimme your paper and I'll write down the info for you."

I passed him the notebook and took it back when he was done.

"Thanks, Tank. I've gotta go run an errand and then make some phone calls before Ranger gets back for the night. Keep this to yourself! I'm going to make it a surprise if it kills me," I told him.

Glancing at the clock, I realized I was running out of time, so as soon as I left Tank's office, I grabbed the Cayenne's keys from the control room and sped to the jeweler's, taking the pendant and money clip I'd bought last week to be engraved. Once I dropped them off, I hurried back to RangeMan to make the phone calls.

I ran upstairs to seven, grabbed the phone, and dialed the number in Miami I'd come to memorize over the last year and a half.

"Hello?" Rachel's voice answered.

"Hi, Rachel. It's Stephanie."

"Oh! Steph, how are you? Is everything okay?" She began to sound alarmed.

"Yes, Rachel," I laughed, "everything's fine. I have a question for you and Ron, though. You know Ranger's birthday is next month, right?"

"August twelfth, yes," she replied.

"Part of my gift to Ranger, if you'll allow it, is to buy a plane ticket for Julie and have her come up for a surprise party I'm planning for him. Then I thought they would both like it if she could stay the week."

"Oh, I don't see a problem with that. She'd have to be out of school, but she's doing well enough that we could pick up her work ahead of time and send it with her, as long as you made sure it gets done." Rachel laughed. "You really expect to keep the party a surprise from Ranger?"

"I hope to. The invitations won't go out until about two weeks before the party, and Tank will help me keep the guys from spilling the beans. It's the 'Burg gossip I'm most worried about, though." I groaned, thinking of the grapevine here in town.

"Good luck with that," she laughed again. "Although, after hearing from Julie about the scavenger hunt he planned for your anniversary, I'd wager that he's so in love with you, he'd go along with it, even if he did find out."

I chuckled. "I'm doing something similar for him, as well. I think he'll enjoy it." I smiled, remembering our anniversary and our trip to New York City a few months back.

"Okay, well, just get back to me on the flight details, and I'll get it set up with Julie's school. Ron won't have a problem, and I know Julie'll be thrilled."

"Thanks, Rachel! That's a big part of his gift, so I'm glad you agreed to let her come up. Talk to you soon," I said, hanging up when I heard her welcome in reply.

I grabbed the phone book to look up the number for the restaurant and dialed as I pulled a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Thank you for calling Rossini's. May I help you?" a young woman's voice asked.

"Yes, hi. I need to speak to someone about reserving the largest back room for next month for a dinner party of thirty, or possibly more, people."

She laughed and said, "Let me get you to Brian, my manager. He'll have to arrange it for that many people. Do you mind if I put you on hold for a minute while I go find him?"

"Not at all," I replied. "Thank you."

There was silence for nearly two minutes, until a deep voice said, "This is Brian. Sorry it took so long. I was in the back room looking at the stock in the cooler. Now, Tracy said you wanted to reserve the big room for a large party?"

"Yes, at least thirty. Do you know Ricardo Manoso?" I asked, knowing he did.

"Yes, Ranger's been a friend for many years. Is this Stephanie?" he asked.

I laughed. "Yes, it is. We've been in your restaurant many times. It's wonderful."

"Thank you! Now, when do you want to book it for and what's the occasion?"

"Ranger turns thirty-two next month, on the twelfth. I'm planning a surprise party for him a few days before his birthday. His family and mine will be there, as well as quite a few of the people from RangeMan and a few of our friends. I'm not sure of the exact night, since a lot depends on the availability of the back room there," I told him honestly.

"Let me check something on the calendar. Give me just a minute." It was quiet for a bit, and then he came back on the phone. "Okay, Stephanie, how about this. On Thursday, the tenth, we don't have any current reservations. Instead of the back room, how about I just close the restaurant and open it up for a private party? There's normally an extra three hundred dollar charge, but for you and Ranger, I'll waive that. All you'll be required to pay for are the dinners and any gratuity you feel the service and meals are worth. Does that work for you?"

I was speechless. "Brian, I don't know what to say! I can't let you close down the restaurant for us..."

He quickly replied, "Ranger and RangeMan have been a great help to us for years. I would love to do something to return the favor. Consider it my thank you and my happy birthday to the man himself."

"All right," I quickly answered. "Before you change your mind, book it for the tenth, then. It may be up to say, forty people. It'll depend on which guys in the company can make it. And please, try to keep it under wraps as to who the party is for. I really would love it if I could surprise him!"

"Consider it done, Stephanie. You are now booked under the name Rick Edwards. Let me know closer to the date about what time you'd like to start the party and how many people you expect, and we'll get it set up for you."

"Thank you so very much, Brian! This was so much better than I'd planned. I'll speak to you in a few weeks. Bye!"

"Goodbye, Stephanie."

After hanging up, I grabbed my address book from the desk and flipped to find Ranger's parents' phone number.

"Hello, Stephanie," Maria, Ranger's mother, said as soon as she answered the phone.

I chuckled. "ESP like your son?"

"No, dear. Caller ID." She laughed and then asked, "What can I do for you?"

"Actually, I was calling to tell you that I'm in the middle of planning a surprise party for Carlos's birthday next month. I'll be sending out invitations, but I wanted to go ahead and give you the heads-up so you can start passing out the info to all of Carlos's siblings and their families. We'll do a family picnic the day of his birthday for the kids, but the dinner out will be adults only. Could you please mark down August tenth and spread the word? Quietly, of course, as I really would like this to be a surprise."

Maria laughed again. "I put a note in my day planner, Stephanie. I know we'll all be there. I'll look forward to hearing more details soon. Please call if you need any help!"

"I will, thank you. I need to make one more phone call and I have about ten minutes until Carlos gets home from work, so I need to go. Thanks again, Maria! Tell the family we said hello."

"Will do. Give Carlos my love. Goodbye, Stephanie."

We hung up, and instead of calling, I decided to head down to six and see Ella in person. I wrote a note to Ranger in case he made it up before I got back and then quickly ran down the stairs to Louis and Ella's apartment.

Ella answered the door after only a few beats. "Stephanie, what a pleasure! Was I supposed to make you dinner tonight?" She looked around, confused.

"Oh, no, I'm not here about dinner. I need a favor," I said.

"Come in, dear. What can I do for you?"

We took a seat on the sofa right inside the door.

"Ella, you know Ranger's birthday is next month, right?" I waited for her nod before continuing. "I'm planning a surprise birthday party for him a couple of days before his birthday. You and Louis are invited, of course. It will be at Rossini's. But the reason I'm here now is because I need to get his latest measurements. I'm going to get him a leather shoulder holster custom-made, and I want to make sure it fits him perfectly."

"That's a wonderful idea, dear. Give me just a second and I'll get those for you." She came back a minute later with a scrap of paper in her hand. "Here you are, Stephanie. Let me know if I can do anything to help, okay?"

I gave her a quick hug and said thank you before heading back up to seven. True to form, I grabbed the elevator, giving the guys in the control room a finger wave and smiling at the camera.

I'd been back less than three minutes when I heard Ranger coming into the apartment. Before I could react, he was across the room and had me pressed against him.

"Babe," he said huskily. "I've been thinking of doing this all day."

He leaned down and kissed me, our tongues slipping around the other's and teeth clashing. He broke away from my mouth as we gasped for air. Then I felt him tug at my hair to turn my head to the side a bit. Suddenly, his lips were on my neck and he was kissing and nibbling my neck and shoulder like a dying man going back for his last supper. His desire was almost palpable, and when his hips pushed up against mine, I felt his need for me through his cargoes.

"Carlos," I whimpered. "I want you..." To show him just how much, I thrust my hips forward against his, our bodies pressed so tightly together, you couldn't even fit a sheet of paper.

"_Dios mio!_" Ranger growled, picking me up and carrying me to the bedroom.

He threw me onto the bed, leaning down immediately to pull off my shoes and pants. I heard a rip, and then my panties fell to the floor at his feet. He pulled me up enough that he could drag my T-shirt over my head. I reached back to undo my bra before tossing it down beside my panties.

Lying there, completely bare and open to his gaze, I trembled with need.

Standing at the end of the bed, he had his clothes off and on the floor with mine before I could blink. He slowly crawled onto the bed and stalked toward me, moving between my thighs. He kept his eyes on mine as he lowered his head to my throbbing center. His tongue flicked out to catch a drop of moisture that was already leaking from my lips and he growled.

"So sweet," he murmured against my lips.

Using one hand, he placed it on my lower belly, holding my hips to the bed, and said clearly, "Hold still, _querida_, or this will be over before either of us is ready."

He lowered his head and his tongue moved in one long stroke from the very bottom of my slit to the top, where he circled my clit, being careful to avoid the already tight bundle of nerves. His chin nudged my lips apart, his nose rubbed against my clit, and suddenly, he thrust his tongue as far inside my hot, wet center as he could. His head moved up and down, side to side, and around in small circles as he worked my body, bringing me right up to the edge before backing off, keeping me from the orgasm my body was craving.

Finally, he lifted his head enough to look into my eyes, and I saw that everything from his nose to his chin was covered in my juices. Not moving his head at all, he watched my back arch off the bed as he quickly thrust two of his long, thick fingers into me. He began nibbling on my clit as his fingers demanded entrance inside me. After only a few nibbles, he bit down more forcefully, and finally, the orgasm took over and shivers wracked my body. Heat flushed to my skin and pooled in my lower belly. Ranger kept up the attack on my clit until I cried out, unable to take any more.

I closed my eyes, trying to breathe normally, as Ranger moved up to lie beside me. His fingers began tracing lazy circles on my stomach, and he lowered his head to place soft kisses on my collarbone. When my stomach started quivering under his touch and my breathing quickened, his lips moved slowly down until they sucked in my nipple, using his teeth to scrape gently across the hardening point. His other hand moved up to cup my other breast, squeezing gently.

I started writhing under his touch and moaned, "Please, Carlos, I need you inside me now. I want your cock inside me..."

He chuckled and then moved to kneel between my open legs. Using one hand, he guided his cock up and down my slit, wetting it. I thrust my hips up, catching the head inside me. He groaned and then slid into me in one hard thrust. I cried out, a mix of sensations walking the thin line between pleasure and pain, and when pleasure won out, my body began moving against him.

We were both slick with sweat and hungry with the need for release. After a few more strokes with his cock, he reached between us and gave my clit a pinch, pushing me over the edge. As my pussy clenched around him, he jerked and I felt him release himself inside me.

White heat exploded behind my eyelids, and I grabbed Ranger's hair and pulled his head down. My lips moved to his ear and I sucked the lobe into my mouth, biting him gently, causing him to shudder in an extended release before he collapsed, his weight heavy, but not uncomfortable.

My last conscious were of the birthday plans and an overwhelming need to show Ranger just how much he meant to me. Feeling at peace, exhaustion overtook my body and I fell into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Two Weeks Before

**Chapter 2: Two Weeks Before...  
Stephanie's POV**

As soon as I woke up, showered, ate, and dressed, I called Tank. "Hey, Tank. You about ready to head out?"

This morning, we were planning to pick up some files at Vinnie's office, and later, I had a few errands to run for Ranger's party.

"Morning, Bomber. Yes. Meet you down at the garage," he said before hanging up.

I grabbed my stuff and headed downstairs. Once I'd climbed into the truck, he roared off toward the office.

"Tank, can we run some party-related errands after stopping at the office?"

"Sure, Steph. Where do we need to go?"

"I need to pick up the holster and stop at the jewelry store on Oak Street to pick up another part of my gift."

"That shouldn't take long," he said. "We'll pick those up and then grab some lunch before heading back to RangeMan. Sound good?"

"Sounds great. Shorty's?" I asked.

"Of course," he answered, grinning.

We walked into the office and I immediately grabbed a donut from the box on Connie's desk. "Thank you so much," I told her. "I had breakfast, but I could definitely use another dose of sugar."

Connie laughed. "Not a problem, girl. You here for all the files?" She glanced at Tank, who was currently on the couch, wrapped around Lula.

"Yes, we are," I said, rolling my eyes. "If I can ever pry them apart."

"Oh, come on, Bomber," Tank called out. "You and the Bossman are just as bad!"

I rolled my eyes and held out my hand for the files. "How many today, Con?"

"Six, total. Three mid-level, three high-level. Two are due soon, but other than that, you have a week or so."

"Great, thanks. C'mon, big guy. Lula, let him go. We got things to do and people to see."

I watched as Tank disentagled himself from the lime green spandexed Lula, and then I waved to her and we headed out the door.

Tank drove us to pick up the holster first, while I read him the profiles of the FTAs. Surprisingly, when we got to the leather shop, Tank came in with me to say hello to the owner, who he'd apparently known for years.

"Tank, my man! How's it hangin'?" a voice called from the back as we walked in.

"Yo, Rudy. It's all good. We're here to pick up the shoulder holster Steph ordered a couple weeks ago," Tank called back.

"Oh yeah, yeah, for Ranger. Got it right back here. Give me a second."

We waited up at the counter, and several minutes later, a short little man walked out the door in the back, carrying a box. He shook my hand, did some complicated hand gesture with Tank, and then lifted the lid and pulled out the leather.

I gasped. "It's gorgeous!" It was a dark mahogany brown, with lighter brown stitching. I turned it over and sighed, a smile slowly making its way across my face.

Noticing my reaction, Tank took the holster, and his face broke out into a big grin as well. I'd wanted the leather engraved with something special and had figured out the perfect line.

_Don't get shot. Love, Babe_

It was just one of those things that had become a little ritual for us; every time Ranger went into the wind, those were my parting words. I'd finally found a way to always have my thoughts with him.

I reached across the counter and grabbed Rudy in a hug. "It's absolutely perfect," I told him. "You have my credit card info for the balance?"

"I do. Glad you like it. Ranger should be thrilled. Pass along my birthday wishes," he said, obviously dismissing us.

As we walked out, I cradled the box in my arms, prompting Tank with our next destination. When we pulled into the lot, though, I told him to wait outside, that I'd be right back.

After checking the engraving and paying, I walked out to the truck and grinned, handing the boxes to Tank.

"Go ahead; you know you want to look," I laughed.

He looked sheepish and pulled open the first box. Inside was the steel, titanium, & eighteen-karat gold money clip. Running across the gold in the middle of the clip were the initials _RCM_, for Ricardo Carlos Manoso.

"Very nice," he said, nodding his approval.

Opening the other box, his eyes widened. Inside was a matching pendant. I had the word _Forever_ engraved down the middle.

"I bought two chains to go with it—a thin one to wear when he's in 'Business Ranger' mode, and a thicker, rope one to wear in 'Street Ranger' mode."

Tank let out a breath and said, "He'll love it, Steph."

"Good, I'm glad. I got the matching cufflinks, too."

He nodded as he pulled out of the lot and headed to Shorty's.

Three hours later, Tank and I had eaten lunch and picked up the first of the two pressing skips. I had to write out the invitations to Ranger's party and call my grandma to ask her if she would help with my plans.

First up, the phone call. When my mom answered, I asked to speak to Grandma. When she came on the line, I said, "Grandma, how are you?"

"Fine, Stephanie! How are you and big boy doing?" she asked.

I laughed. "Ranger and I are fine. He's actually what I'm calling about. Before I talk to you, though, I need your promise. Please, promise me you'll keep this to yourself. Don't even tell Mom and Dad. _Especially_ don't tell the ladies at the beauty shop or anywhere. This can _not_ get around the 'Brug yet."

"Of course! All you have to do is ask, Stephanie."

"Okay, well, Ranger's birthday is in two weeks. I'm planning a surprise party for him. Do you remember our anniversary a few months ago and the scavenger hunt he planned for me?" I waited until she made a noise indicating that she did, and then I continued. "I'm planning something similar for him."

"Oh, how fun!" she laughed. "You'll have that big boy spinning in circles, completely out of control. He won't know what hit him! So where do I come in? I'm assuming from the phone call that you need something from me."

"Actually, yes. I'd like to give you one of the gifts I have for him and then give him a clue that leads him to you. He'll open the gift there with you and get the next clue. He won't be by for it until next week sometime, but I'll bring it over this week for you to hold onto," I explained.

"This is so exciting! What's the gift I'm going to give him?" she asked.

"Just wait until he opens it. You'll love it, Grandma." I giggled, thinking of their reactions. "I need to go. I have to write out all the invitations. I love you. Tell Mom and Dad I'll see them at dinner on Friday. Remember... Our secret, okay?"

"Of course, Stephanie. I love you, too. See you Friday."

We hung up the phone and I immediately dialed Mary Lou.

"Hey, Mare," I said when she answered. "Can I come over? I need your help with something." When she said of course, I replied, "Okay, I'll be over in a few minutes. Thanks, Lou."

I gathered up the supplies for the invitations and was at Mary Lou's house within twenty minutes.

When she let me in, she glanced at the bag, and as we sat down at the kitchen table, she finally gave in to her curiosity. "What's up, Steph?"

"Remember the scavenger hunt Ranger planned for me?" At her nod, I explained my idea for everything. "So I'm here to see if you'll help address all the envelopes for the invitations while I write them."

"Of course! You have a list of the names and addresses?"

I gave her the list, plus all the envelopes and the pen I'd brought.

We spent the next hour and a half working on the invitations, finishing by putting stamps on all the envelopes. I gave her a hug and then left to hit the post office and mail the invitations, finally heading home to write out the first clue.

When I got back to Haywood and up to seven, I realized it was nearly six o'clock. Ranger would be home soon. I grabbed the notecards and my pen and sat down at the kitchen table to write. Gathering up my supplies and the note, I hid them in the box of things for the party and hunt and then slid it back into the suitcase stored in the closet.

When Ranger came in at six fifteen, Ella had just dropped off dinner, and we sat down to eat. I was so excited, so happy, and so in love, that for the first time in a long time, I didn't even taste the food. I just sat and watched Ranger, smiling secretly to myself.


	3. Chapter 3: One Week Before

_Warning for lemony goodness._

~oOo~

**Chapter 3: One Week Before...  
Stephanie's POV**

It was now only a week before the party, so I needed to get the ball rolling or Ranger wouldn't get all his gifts and clues in time. I waited until he headed downstairs to work, telling me he'd see me later, and then I sat down with a new card to write the second note. After finishing, I called Tank.

"Yo," he said.

"Morning, Tank. You ready to head out? I should be about ten minutes."

"Sure, Bomber. I'll see you then."

Once he hung up, I got dressed and put on my makeup. When I was ready, I put the gift and note to take to Grandma and the boxes and card for my apartment into my purse, and then we headed out.

"First, let's go pick up the files from Connie before Vinnie starts having a hissy fit," I told him.

He laughed and drove out of the garage toward the bonds office. When he pulled to the curb, I ran in to pick up the three files waiting for us. The girls whispered to me so Vinnie wouldn't overhear that they'd both gotten their invitations and would be there.

I smiled and said, "I have some errands to run," mouthing the word _party_. "I'll see guys later."

When I got back in the truck, Tank asked, "Where to now, Steph?"

"Sorry, Tank, but we have to go to my parents' house now." I laughed when I saw him grimace. "I have to give this one"—holding up the box—"to my grandma to give Ranger."

At this, he burst out laughing. "Do you want him to kill you, Steph? Oh, he'll get you back big time for making him go see your granny!"

I laughed along with him and said, "It's the perfect gift for her to give him, too. I'm going to have him open it in front of her, so when they both see the red silk boxers I'm giving him, I doubt I'll ever live it down. But I just couldn't help myself; it's the perfect setup."

We laughed until we pulled up to my parents' house, where I gave him the news that probably made his week. "You can stay in here. I'm just going to run these in and give them to Grandma. Be back out in a couple of minutes."

He nodded gratefully and I slid from the truck, running inside the house.

As usual, Grandma was already waiting for me at the door. "Hello, Stephanie! We got the invitation. Your mother went to the store and your father is working, so I'm here alone. Is that the gift for me to give Ranger?"

I smiled and nodded, handing her the box with the card attached. "Just put these out of sight until he comes for them, Grandma. Then give them to him and tell him to go ahead and read my note."

"I will, Stephanie. If he doesn't, I'll zap him. Got me that new stun gun I read about in a magazine at the library." She licked her lips and continued. "Been waiting to try it out. He may be the perfect target."

"Grandma, please try not to stun Ranger. I love him," I laughed.

"Fine, fine. Ruin my fun," she said, but the laughing was ruining her sarcasm.

I said goodbye and headed back out to the truck. "To RangeMan, kind sir."

When we got to RangeMan, I asked, "Hey, Tank, can you take the first note and slip it onto Ranger's keyboard when he's out of his office, please? I figured once I get inside, he'll come see me at my cubicle, so that would be the perfect opportunity."

"Of course, Bomber." He took the card and held it out of sight as we boarded the elevator.

We stopped at five. Tank got out and went straight to his office, and I continued up to seven.

I got the two boxes holding the cufflinks and money clip, added the note to them, and put them in the bathroom with my makeup. Then I hurried back down to my cublicle on five.

Within five minutes, I felt Ranger's presence behind me. "Hi, Carlos," I said, not even glancing back.

"Babe," he chuckled. He came up behind me and pulled me up out of my chair. His arms went around my waist, and he spun me around to face him. "You are so gorgeous, Steph," he said before bringing his lips down to meet mine in a soft kiss. "Lots of work this morning?"

"No, not really. Annie is doing the majority of the searches this morning. I have a few skips to look into, and then I'm free until this afternoon when Tank and I have surveillance."

"Want to have lunch today? We could go grab Pino's or have Ella bring lunch to us on seven."

"Mmm, Ella on seven would be perfect," I told him.

"Give her a call and let her know we'll be ready at twelve thirty, if that's okay with you. I have a meeting at eleven forty-five, but it should be finished in plenty of time. I'll meet you up there then. Love you, Babe," he said, before nuzzling my neck once.

He left and I immediately dialed Tank. "He just left. Did you leave it?"

"I did, Steph. It's sitting on his keyboard."

"Thanks, big guy. I really appreciate the help," I said.

"No worries. See you after lunch for surveillance."

"Yup, see you," I told him before hanging up. I got comfortable again and counted down the minutes until lunch while I waited for my searches to finish.

~oooOOOooo~

**Ranger's POV**

I left Steph's cubicle and headed back to my office.

Tank was just stepping out and said, "Oh, hey, Rangeman. Just stopped by to see you. You have everything you need for the meeting this morning?"

"Yeah, not much to it. Just some forms for the guy to sign. We did the majority of it when he was in earlier this week."

Tank nodded. "Got plans with Lula for lunch, and then Steph and I have surveillance this afternoon for a short shift."

"See ya, man," I said, giving him our favorite handshake before heading into my office.

As soon as I got to my desk, I saw the envelope on my keyboard. I grinned when I saw my name on the outside in handwriting I recognized.

~oOo~

_Carlos,_

_Four months ago, you put a lot of time and effort into giving me one of the best experiences of my life. I may not be able to give you the same level of extravagance, but know that the love in my heart is greater than any wealth I could give you. I love you with everything that I am and everything that I could ever hope to be._

_Please, enjoy yourself for the next week while you search for all my gifts. I had so much fun on the hunt you planned for me that I wanted to return the favor. Don't try to cheat and don't bother trying to get information out of anyone. They may not believe you will send them to a third world country, but they know the extent of my 'Burg wrath._

_Clue # 1:_

_Some people are born with courage.  
Some people get their courage from a bottle.  
My courage comes in a little tube.  
Find my courage today and you find your first gift and the next clue._

_I love you, Carlos, always and forever.  
Babe_

~oOo~

_Oh, Babe..._ This woman never ceased to amaze me. I laughed, remembering the last time we'd played this game. Reading back over the clue, I started trying to figure out what she could mean. Steph was one of the bravest people I knew. What did she think gave her courage? Then a memory hit me.

Last year, I'd overheard her getting ready for a distraction job. It was a particularly nasty skip, and I'd heard her say something like, "This definitely requires four coats of mascara. Need more courage tonight, but can't tell Ranger I'm nervous. Maybe five coats. Yeah, five."

Her makeup! I looked at the clock. I only had a few minutes until my meeting, so there wasn't enough time to go up before lunch. I would sneak back up when Steph left for surveillance with Tank. I gathered up the papers for the meeting and headed off to the conference room, smiling the entire way.

The meeting let up at noon exactly. I grabbed a set of keys from the control room and then quickly walked over to Stephanie's cubicle, pulling her up from her chair without a word. I held her around the waist, dragging her beside me. Without even bothering to go up to seven, I hurried us down one flight of stairs to the apartments on four. I unlocked the door to the first empty apartment on the floor.

I slammed the door behind us, whipped her around so that she was facing away from me, and had her cargoes down around her ankles before she could say a word. I bent her over the arm of the couch, freed my cock from my slacks, and within seconds, I'd thrust all the way into her, putting all my nine inches inside at once. She cried out, her arms moving forward to hold herself up while I pumped my hips hard and fast.

My hands twisted into her hair, pulling her head back slightly to expose her neck, and when I felt myself getting nearer to release, I pulled back on her hair hard enough to force her to stand more upright. My other hand reached around to rub her clit, and when I was ready to come, I leaned forward and bit down near her neck on her shoulder, hard enough that she cried out. We both flew over the edge at the same time. Her hot, tight pussy clenched around my cock, milking it as I spilled myself inside her.

We stood there for several minutes, our breathing ragged. I finally pulled out, grabbing the sheet that covered the couch to clean myself and Stephanie up a bit. I threw it to the floor and gently pulled Stephanie close to me, kissing her softly.

"I can't believe how much I love you, Babe," I whispered. "I'm sorry I was so rough. Did I hurt you?"

She had tears in her eyes when she reached up to cup my face in her hands. "No, Carlos, you didn't. You could never hurt me. I love you, too," she said firmly. "Always."

We slowly got dressed and headed out the door to grab lunch on seven. On my way out, I grabbed the sheet from the floor to take up to the laundry. Lunch was a quiet, peaceful thirty minutes. We sat beside one another, her hand in mine, while we ate.

When we finished our lunch, we rode down the elevator with her in front of me, wrapped loosely in my arms. I held the door open on five while I kissed her tenderly goodbye. Telling her I'd call her later, I headed to my office while she rode down to the garage to meet Tank.

A couple of hours later, I had a break in my work, so I headed back up to seven. Making my way into the bathroom, I immediately spotted two jewelry boxes and another envelope. I took all three to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed to read the card.

~oOo~

_Carlos,_

_You know me better than anyone! Please go ahead and open the two boxes. Then finish reading this note._

~oOo~

I set the card down and picked up the first box. Inside was a set of cufflinks, two-tone titanium and gold. I smiled, knowing how perfectly they would pair up with many of my suits. Stephanie knew me so well. I put them back in their box and closed it before setting it back down and picking up the second box.

When I opened it, I smiled. Inside was a matching money clip, and Steph had gotten my initials engraved into the gold section in the middle. It was stunning. Putting it back in its box as well, I put them both back on the bed and picked up the card again.

~oOo~

_I hope you like them. I want you to know why I picked out each gift._

_There are many different facets to your personality, Carlos. On one side, you are Ranger Manoso, man of the street and the military. I want to show you that I love every part of you. When you have to play the role of a businessman or executive, you become the epitome of the business professional. You are as comfortable in Armani suits, looking like you just stepped out of the pages of GQ, as you are in your cargoes and T-shirts. Business Ranger is my polished perfection._

_Clue #2:_

_You say I'm the most important thing in your life, which is incredible to think about.  
But we know how well I do locked up.  
In the place that holds your most important accessories, tomorrow you should look to find gift number two._

_I love you, Carlos. More and more every day._

_Love,  
Steph_

~oOo~

My Babe certainly had a way with words, I thought, chuckling as I headed back downstairs after putting the cufflinks and money clip in the jewelry box on top of my dresser. Tomorrow, I would look in the gun safe in the apartment, as Steph knew my most important accessories were my weapons and they were locked up there if they weren't on my body. Until then, I would relax and wait for Steph to get back from surveillance so I could take her upstairs and make love to her properly. After all, the woman who could make me feel like she does with just a few simple words deserved to be treated like a queen.


	4. Chapter 4: Six Days Before

_Warning for lemony goodness._

~oOo~

**Chapter 4: Six Days Before...  
Stephanie's POV**

I woke up slowly in Ranger's arms when his watch beeped to let us know it was time to get up. He was placing soft kisses along my collarbone, trying to fully wake us both. I had to plant the next two gifts this morning before Ranger could get to them, so I couldn't sleep in. Neither should be too hard, as I would linger in the apartment after Ranger went downstairs for work. Tank promised to slip the confirmation for Julie's ticket on one of the targets in the gun range so I didn't have to worry about looking out of place going inside.

I knew the second Ranger was completely awake because his soft kisses became much more insistent, moving all the way down my shoulder and then back up my neck, until I began pressing myself back against him. His arousal was evident in the hardness pressing against my backside.

I moaned low in my throat as his teeth grazed the pulse point in my neck. His hand moved over my hip to slip in between my thighs, and his finger slowly moved up and down my slit, coating itself in the juices already leaking from me. Soon, he had me trembling as he slipped not just one finger, but two, into my molten center, and I nearly came apart.

After thrusting several times to make sure I was ready for him, he whispered in my ear, "Open your legs for me, Babe."

I lifted my top leg enough for him to slide his cock into me from behind, and then his leg fell between mine to hold my top leg up, giving him room to move. We were silent as we made love, full of tenderness and romance...nothing like the animalistic sex we'd had the day before. I liked to think of yesterday as Ranger sex, and today was purely Carlos.

His lips began moving on my skin again, concentrating on my neck, where he knew I was extremely sensitive. His hand reached back around and began circling my clit, although he never came close to touching it. Finally, he knew we were both on the edge and his thrusts became more powerful.

"God, Carlos!" I cried, forcing my hips back to meet each of his thrusts.

"I want you to come for me, Stephanie," he demanded as his fingers finally found my clit and began to stroke it. "Come for me now, Babe."

Just his words alone might have done it, but combined with the fingers on my clit, they sent me over the edge. White hot explosions ripped through my body as I climaxed, and my inner walls clenching around him brought Ranger his release, as well.

"_Dios mio,_ Stephanie!"

When we both came back down, we lay there—I was still in his arms, and he was still buried inside me—for several minutes. Finally, his watch beeped a warning and he turned my head to give me one deep, long kiss.

"I'll take a quick shower and head downstairs. You have about thirty minutes," he told me.

I smiled softly, nodding my head. "I love you, Carlos."

"Always, _querida. Te amo, siempre._ I love you, always," he murmured into my hair before standing up and going into the bathroom to shower.

I smiled to myself, stretching as I waited for him to finish. After five minutes, Ranger came out and headed into the dressing area to grab his clothes. Two minutes later, he sat down on the edge of the bed, fully dressed, to put his boots on.

I sat up and wrapped my arms around him from behind. "Your birthday's in a few days. What do you want to do?"

He grimaced. "Nothing. Let's just get Ella to bring up dinner and we can watch a movie."

"Oh, don't be a spoilsport. Let's at least go out to dinner somewhere," I complained.

"Fine, fine. You set it up and I'll be there," he replied.

I nearly laughed out loud and hoped he would remember that when the time came!

"Gotta go, Babe. See you at lunch?"

I nodded and kissed him quickly before he headed out the door. I jumped up and took the fastest shower on record—for me, anyway—and then hurried to get dressed. Before even considering going out and getting the coffee I could smell, I grabbed the holster and the note, unlocked the safe, and put them in before relocking it. Then I grabbed the envelope holding Julie's confirmation, along with the note to go with it, and headed to the kitchen.

Ella was a goddess and had left me not only a huge, freshly-brewed pot of coffee, but also a plate full of cinnamon sugary goodness in the form of cinnamon rolls dripping with icing. I sat down and ate two quickly before feeling completely full.

I grabbed the stuff for Tank and headed down to his office on five. "Knock knock," I called as I stepped through his open doorway. "I come bearing gifts!"

He said, "Come in, Bomber."

I walked in and set a plate with the cinnamon roll on it on his desk, along with the two envelopes. "You're going to go pretty quickly and put these on one of the lanes, right? And then you have to make sure you speak to whoever is on duty about not letting anyone have that lane except for Ranger..."

Nodding, he replied, "I got it, Steph. Don't worry. You go talk to Annie, and by the time you're finished, I'll be ready to head out."

"Thanks, Tank. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Bomber."

I left his office and made my way across the big expanse of cubicles to find Annie already knee deep in searches. I knew from the stack on her desk that it was going to be a long day, but I was simply too excited to care.

~oooOOOooo~

**Ranger's POV**

Steph and I had spent last night in the apartment on seven. I smiled to myself, remembering the tender wake-up call we'd shared. I knew I needed to check on the next gift from her, but I wanted to give her time to get it ready if it wasn't already there.

After putting in several hours worth of work, I decided it had been plenty of time. Leaving my office, I headed up to seven, tossed my stuff onto the table in the entryway, and then headed back to the safe in the bedroom. I spun the dial, opened the door, and saw a brand new leather shoulder holster with the next card propped up next to it. I pulled them out and sat down on the bed, promptly putting the holster on. I noticed immediately how perfectly it laid across my back and shoulders and fell at just the right spots under my arms. I left it on as I picked up the new note.

~oOo~

_Carlos,_

_I do hope you like the holster. I know your other was beginning to wear in some spots and figured this was something that would not only be practical, but would look good, too. I had it custom fit, so it should fit you perfectly. Be sure and look at all of it. There's a surprise hidden on one side._

_This gift is to show you that in addition to Business Ranger, I am also madly in love with Street and Military Ranger. The tough guy. The intense, serious man. Even the blank face... All of those are a part of what makes you YOU, and I wouldn't change any part of you for anything._

_Clue #3:_

_To use this gift, you must have accessories.  
Think of the necessary equipment and make your way to where you practice with it.  
Find the right one today and win the prize._

_I love you, Carlos, always,  
Steph_

~oOo~

I looked back at the beginning and realized I needed to look over the holster more carefully. Slipping it off, I brought it around and began looking on the inside of the leather. There, on the inside of one of the shoulder straps, were five of the sweetest words my Babe had ever said to me. It was one of the last things Stephanie always said when I went out on a mission or even on a dangerous job for RangeMan. It really touched me to know that most special and loving thought would be near me every minute I wore the holster.

Looking back at the letter, I quickly surmised that the only accessories needed were a gun and extra ammo. _Ahh, the gun range..._ I chuckled, slipping the holster back on and adding my gun before leaving the apartment.

Nodding to the guys in the control room, I took the stairs down to the garage and then entered the door to the range. Cal was on duty, and he gave me a nod before going back to the monitor he was studying. I decided to look at the left lane first, but when I pulled the target up, it was empty. I moved to the right, and when I pulled the target up, I could see there were two envelopes stuck to it. I grabbed them, waved to Cal, and then headed back to the stairs and up to my office.

Sitting down at my desk, I opened the note from Stephanie first.

~oOo~

_Carlos,_

_Go ahead and open the other envelope and then come back and read this._

~oOo~

I grabbed the other, slightly larger, envelope and pulled out a folded piece of printed paper. I almost couldn't believe it... The paper was a confirmation for an open-dated flight to Trenton from Miami for Julie. I could work out a date and get a visit from my daughter. My throat constricted and I knew without a doubt that Steph had known how much I'd missed seeing Julie. I knew she had too, so I was sure she would enjoy Julie's visit just as much as I would. Maybe she could come up for fall break in October. That wasn't too far away. I smiled to myself and picked up the note again.

~oOo~

_As you can see, this is a confirmation for a flight from Miami for Julie. It's been too long since she came here to visit, and I know you miss her. I miss her, too. I'm thinking October, during her fall break from school, might be a good time for the visit? I'll let you work out the details later with Rachel._

_This gift means many things to me, Carlos. Most of all, I can show you what a wonderful father I think you are. You may have struggled with your new role at first and may not physically be there for her every day, but I don't know if anyone else would've been brave enough to walk into that room when Scrog had her. Not with their head held high and eyes full of pride and love instead of simply fear._

_Oh, I know the fear was there. Even then, I was beginning to read your expressions like you've done with mine for so long._

_Carlos, I love that you're a father. You're strong for Julie when you need to be, never cruel, and always loving. I know you're the same way with me, and I want you to know that Daddy Ranger has a special place in my heart._

_If we ever to decide that we want to start a family of our own, there's no one else I'd rather have children with than you. Sure, our line of work can be dangerous and your past could catch up with you at any moment. But the present is all we really truly need to be concerned about. Everything else will work itself out._

_Clue #4:_

_Your next gift will be found in possibly the scariest place your mind can come up with.  
Unfortunately, it's something you must retrieve to continue my fun little game.  
Wait three days and then go find the #1 package inspector in the U.S. (possibly even worldwide!)._

_I love you, Carlos, always,  
Steph_

~oOo~

_Oh Christ..._ I had to go visit Stephanie's grandmother!


	5. Chapter 5: Three Days Before

**Chapter 5: Three Days Before...  
Stephanie's POV**

On Monday, I woke up and realized there were only three days left until the party. I was getting nervous that the rest of the plan would run into some problems. If anything would, it would be today's task. Today was the day that Ranger had to visit my grandmother. If it worked out, it would be priceless. If it didn't, it could really screw the rest up.

The first thing I did after Ranger left our apartment was to call Grandma Mazur. I dialed my parents' number, and Grandma was the one that actually answered the phone, thank goodness. I really didn't feel like dealing with my mother today.

"Hello? Who's there?" Grandma asked.

"Hi, Grandma, it's me," I told her.

"Hello, Stephanie! What do you need, baby granddaughter?"

"Just wanted to let you know that Ranger will be coming by sometime today to pick up the gift and the envelope. I'm sure he'll call first, but I wanted to let you know today is the day."

"Oh goodie!" she cackled. "It's been too long since I saw him last."

I laughed. "Grandma, we were just there Friday for dinner!"

"Yes, but now I'll have him all to myself..." She cackled again.

_Oh no..._ I sighed. "Grandma, please behave. I love the man and don't want you to run him off," I told her, laughing.

"I'll be good, Stephanie. I need to go in case he tries to call while we're on the phone," she said and then hung up without saying goodbye.

I was dead. Ranger would surely kill me when this was over. I could only hope I'd live long enough to see him at the party.

I laughed to myself as I got dressed and then put the final gift and note in his dresser drawer that held his underwear. My clue seemed like it was making fun, but literally, there was _one_ pair of boxers in the drawer. I added the blindfold and the note and then headed downstairs to work.

~oooOOOooo~

**Ranger's POV**

Today was the day I'd been dreading since last week. My next gift and clue from Steph were in the hands of her grandmother. She was a spitfire, that little old lady, and none of my men, including myself, knew quite how to handle her. I figured that today, I was just going to have to grit my teeth, put up with the groping, and leave as soon as I was able.

I worked until eleven and then dialed Steph's parents' house.

"Hello?" her mother answered.

"Hello, Mrs. Plum. This is Carlos. Is Mrs. Mazur there, by any chance? She's holding onto something for me that Stephanie gave her, and I'd like to arrange a time that I can come by and pick it up."

Her voice had cooled when she replied, "Yes, of course. She's right here. Hold on, please."

As I waited for Steph's grandmother to come on the line, I thought about the relationship Steph and I had with her mother. Although she'd finally stopped trying to convince Steph to go back to Morelli, she was still trying to convince Steph to give up working at RangeMan and go to work at the tampon factory. I didn't think she'd ever fully accepted me as part of Stephanie's life, but Steph and I had finally agreed that her acceptance was her problem, not ours. Frank, Steph's father, had been very supportive, and of course, Edna loved me.

Just then, her voice came over the line. "Hello, big boy. You want to come visit me today, I hear."

"Yes, ma'am," I said politely. "Is it okay if I head over now before lunch?"

"That would be fine. Looking forward to seeing you," she said before hanging up the phone.

I cringed and dialed Tank. "Tank, man, you want to go with me to Steph's parents' house?"

Tank laughed so loudly, I could hear it from outside the door and down the hall. "Hell no, man. You have to go face Granny by yourself."

"Thanks a bunch, man. If I'm not back in an hour, call the TPD." I hung up on his laughter, grabbed the keys, and headed to the garage.

I drove slowly over to the Plum house and parked in front. Using their 'Burg radar, Steph's mother and grandma were waiting in the doorway when I pulled up. Grimacing, I closed my eyes and pictured my Babe, reminding myself why I was about to endure the torture.

Walking to the front door, I put a polite smile on my face. "Hello, ladies," I said, the picture of calm assurance.

"Hello, Carlos. Please, come in," Helen said, gesturing inside.

I squeezed past her, barely able to get by because Steph's grandma was blocking the door and trying to cop a feel. "Thank you," I told them.

Helen said, "Why don't we sit in the living room?"

"That would be fine," I answered. "Mrs. Mazur, I believe you have something for me from Stephanie?"

She nodded. "It's already in there waiting," she said.

We made our way to the living room, and I saw a small, flat box with a card attached. I sat down beside the box after helping Edna to a seat on the other side. Once Helen had also taken a seat, I picked up the box.

Written in red marker on the box was, "_Open The Box First!_"

I put the envelope beside me on the couch and opened the lid on the box. I groaned quietly in my throat and pulled out a pair of bright red silk boxers.

You could have heard a pin drop, the room was suddenly so still and quiet. Then Grandma Mazur began laughing.

"Oh my! I wonder if your package will fit in those! I suppose Stephanie knows better than I do. I don't suppose you'll give an old woman a treat and model them, will you?"

"Mother!" Helen cried, sounding scandalized. She got up and headed to the kitchen. I knew she'd be grabbing the bottle she had hidden in the cabinet.

If I could've blushed, I knew I would've been. Instead of answering, I pulled out the note from the envelope.

~oOo~

_Carlos,_

_Please don't hate me. I couldn't resist. I knew Grandma would get a kick out of this, and I assumed you were man enough to handle her. If you aren't, then just let me know. *wink*_

_The boxers have a significance to them. Carlos, to me, you are first and foremost a man. A very sexy, sensual, hot, intense man. But your life lacks color. Sure, I bring color to your life, and that's great. But this pair of boxers is my way of adding a bit of color and spice to your wardrobe. I know you don't wear underwear very often, but this way, I know that if you do need to wear them at some point, I'll know exactly what's underneath your pants. I love you...Carlos, the man. I hope you know just how much._

_Clue # 5:_

_In three days time, check the place that I have teased you about holding only one item. Although, after today, you can add another one to that, bringing your grand total to two!_

_I love you, Carlos, always,  
Steph_

~oOo~

I wasn't sure what to say to Grandma Mazur other than, "Thank you for helping Stephanie with this. I know it means a lot to her, and I would do anything in my power to make her happy."

She nodded. "I know. You and Stephanie are both very lucky; I can tell how much you love one another. It's a beautiful thing. Thank you for taking such good care of my granddaughter. Don't tell Valerie, but Stephanie's always been my favorite. We're very much alike," she said quietly. "I'm glad she found someone that makes her as happy as her grandfather made me. I do so hope you have as many wonderful years together as he and I had."

Then, very uncharacteristically of her, she threw her frail little arms around me and hugged me tightly. "Love my baby granddaughter, Carlos. Love her as if she is the most precious thing in the world, because to many people, she is."

I nodded, swallowing hard, and hugged her back gently. "I know she is, Mrs. Mazur. I love her with everything in me. I'll spend the rest of our lives showing and telling her that."

As soon as she let me go, I called out to Steph's mother. "Goodbye, Mrs. Plum. Thank you for letting me come over." Then, more quietly, I said to her grandmother, "Thank you again for your help. I know it made Steph very happy." I quickly turned and headed back to the truck.

The drive back to RangeMan gave me time to think of everything Edna had said about her late husband and their relationship and my relationship with Stephanie. It was something I'd been thinking about for a while now, but hearing it from Edna's perspective made my thoughts go into overtime. _Definitely something to think about seriously soon..._

~oooOOOooo~

**One Day Before the Party  
Tank's POV**

Mid-afternoon, my phone rang. "Yo."

"Hi, Tank. You remember that Julie's plane comes in today, right?" Stephanie asked.

"I certainly do, Bomber. We can leave in a few minutes. Her plane arrives in a couple of hours. Then we'll take her to Ranger's parents' house in Trenton. Sound good to you?"

"Sounds great. Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. Just buzz me when it's time to head out," she told me.

"Will do, Steph," I said, hanging up.

Finishing up the last batch of paperwork, I called Ranger.

"Yo," he said.

"Steph and I are headed out to try to find our last skip today. Should be back by dinner."

I hung up, grabbed my keys, and walked over to Steph's cubicle.

"Let's go, Bomber," I told her.

"Geez Louise! Make some noise, wouldja?" she gasped. I watched her grab her keys and purse and then we walked to the elevator.

We were quiet all the way to the airport. "Steph, what's wrong? I haven't seen you this quiet in a long time," I chuckled.

"Just worried about how the visit to my parents' house went today for Ranger, that's all," she admitted.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Steph. I spoke with him several times this afternoon, and although at times he seemed lost in thought, he never seemed worried or unhappy."

"Okay, good. I talked to him once, and he seemed fine, but I wasn't sure."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her shoulders relax and the tension in the car went down by ten. Thank goodness. It had been making me a bit edgy.

We finally arrived at the airport and made our way to where we were supposed to pick up Julie. When the passengers began walking off the plane, we heard her before we saw her.

"Stephanie! Tank!" Julie's loud voice was easily heard over everyone else.

Julie ran up and threw her arms around Steph. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she yelled as she hugged her. "Thank you for bringing me up here for Dad's birthday! I missed you guys!"

With that, she turned and threw her arms around my neck. I gently pulled her close, amazed at how much she'd grown since we last saw her.

"Hey, kid," I said, tugging on a strand of hair. "Your dad isn't going to be pleased at how much you've grown! You definitely aren't a little girl anymore."

"Oh, Tank!" Julie laughed. "You're funny. Come on, let's get my luggage. I'm ready to go see _Abuela_ and _Abuelo_."

We listened to her chatter the entire way to Trenton. By the time we dropped her off, we were both exhausted. We stopped at Shorty's on the way home to pick up dinner for Steph and Ranger and then made it back to RangeMan and headed inside, meeting up with Ranger at the elevator on five.

~oooOOOooo~

**Ranger's POV**

I watched Steph and Tank get off the elevator, laughing together. Steph noticed me as soon as they walked out and came up to me to say hello.

I pulled her into my arms, kissing her softly. "Babe."

"Hi, Batman," she laughed. "You ready to go upstairs and eat?" She held up a bag. "I brought you a salad."

"Sounds good, Babe. Have a good night, Tank."

We turned around and got back on the elevator to head up to seven, with Steph wrapped in my arms. I hoped to spend the rest of the evening just like this, holding my Babe. I smiled. Having come to a decision about our future, I was completely at peace.


	6. Chapter 6: The Day of

_Warning for lemony goodness!_

~oOo~

**Chapter 6: The Day Of...  
Stephanie's POV**

The day of the party, I woke up more worried than I'd been for the last month. Everything had worked out perfectly so far. Lula, Connie, and my mom all agreed that they hadn't heard any gossip around the 'Burg about the party. Ranger seemed pleased so far, and Grandma had even mentioned they'd had a nice visit. Even with all that, I was worried that Ranger wouldn't come willingly tonight and Tank would have to spill the beans. I was also worried Ranger would be mad about the party I'd planned.

Not much I could do about it now, I supposed. I listened to the man himself get into the shower and decided I would join him. At least then we'd have one fantastic memory of the day...

I hurriedly got up and tiptoed my way into the bathroom, tossing my clothes onto the floor as I went. Stepping into the shower behind him, I wrapped my arms around his waist and was rewarded with a low growl.

"Is that the warm, naked body of the woman I love pressed up against me?"

"It is..." I grinned and then moved around to his front to stand under the warm water, letting it cascade down my spine. "Mind if I help?"

He leered at me and handed me the loofah from the shelf. I picked up his Bvlgari body wash and squirted some onto the loofah and then picked up his left arm and slowly began to scrub his skin gently. When that arm was clean, I moved to his right and scrubbed that one as well, before moving around to his back. Using the loofah, I scrubbed and massaged my way across his shoulders and down to the top of his ass before skimming down to carefully scrub both legs.

Facing him again, I put the loofah down and then squirted more of the body wash into my palms and rubbed them together to lather it up. I reached my arms around to scrub his ass, making sure to clean every part of him well before rinsing my hands.

"I'm not quite done yet," I told him before adding a few more drops of the body wash and moving my hands to his cock. "Have to make sure all of you is clean."

I used the slickness of the body wash as a lube and began stroking him firmly, my hand moving from the very base to the very tip, squeezing and stroking slowly. My other hand reached down to roll his balls around in my palm. Soon, I had a good rhythm going.

Just before he climaxed, he reached down to pull me away from him. "Stop now or there's no way I'm going to last, Babe."

I pulled away from his hands and whispered, "Then don't. Let me do this for you, Carlos."

His hands shot out to the sides of the shower for support as I sank to my knees and let the water fall over his lower body, rinsing the soap away. I leaned forward and my lips closed over the head of his cock, as if in a vise. Moving a hand up, I began to stroke him, using my hand where my mouth couldn't easily reach on his length.

He moved one hand to grip my hair and began moaning as he used that hand to move my head up and down his shaft more forcefully. I moved my hand, relaxed my throat, and let him force my head all the way down so my nose was buried in the hair at the base of him. It was a trick I'd perfected after we finally got together. I used one hand to caress and squeeze his balls and moved the other hand around to grab his ass.

He fucked my mouth with long and deep strokes, hitting the back of my throat every time. Finally, I felt his balls begin to tighten under my hand, so I took my hand off his ass, and just before he climaxed, I inserted the tip of one of my fingers into his hole. He nearly jumped a foot into the air as he came harder than I'd ever felt him come before. I continued squeezing his balls gently, sucking lightly on him before finally slowing and letting my hands and mouth fall away from him.

He pulled me up to face him. "_Dios,_ Babe! Thank you, Stephanie."

"My pleasure, Batman."

"Not yet, it isn't," he chuckled. "But now I'm going to be late to a meeting, so your pleasure will have to wait." He pulled me tightly to him and whispered, "I promise. I'll make every bit of that up to you tonight." Then he spun around to rinse himself off quickly, gave me a last kiss, and left the shower.

I quickly washed, but before I could finish, he was calling out, "I'm heading to five. See you later, Babe."

I closed my eyes, yelled that I would be down in a few minutes, and then finished washing my hair before getting out to get dressed and prepare for the day.

After dressing in my RangeMan clothes, I got together the stuff I would need to get ready for the party. My new dress and shoes were over at my apartment, so I just stuck my makeup in my purse. I would go to Mary Lou's tonight to get ready and would use her hair stuff. That just left Ranger's things. I checked to make sure the blindfold and note were still in the drawer and then grabbed his dark navy suit with a navy and silver striped tie and white shirt. I laid them all on the bed and then added his wing tip shoes with dress socks beside them. Finally, I left a new leather cord for his hair that I'd picked out myself on top of it all, grabbed my purse, and headed out the door.

~oooOOOooo~

**Ranger's POV**

By mid-afternoon, the day had slowed down enough that I could take a breather. At four thirty, my phone rang, and I answered with my customary, "Yo."

"Yo, Bossman," Tank's voice boomed over the line. "You headed up to seven anytime soon? Steph thinks she might have left a file up there. Could you check and let me know?"

"Will do," I said. I decided to go up to seven to look for the file and to find the latest items left to me by Steph. I knew I was supposed to look in my virtually empty underwear drawer, so I couldn't help but wonder what in the world she would put in there.

When I got upstairs, I took a quick look around and didn't see any file in the kitchen, dining room, or living room. I called Tank. "She said she left it here? I don't see it anywhere."

"Sorry, Ranger, she just called. She just found it stuck in with another one."

"Oh, okay, good."

I hung up the phone and headed to the bedroom. When I entered, my eyes were immediately drawn to the bed. Steph had laid out a suit and tie, along with shoes and a new leather hair tie. _Interesting..._

Moving to the dresser, I opened the drawer and pulled out a long, black, silk scarf-like thing and a note.

~oOo~

_Carlos,_

_We're almost done. Hasn't this been fun? Seriously, when you planned our anniversary, I had such a blast that I couldn't resist doing this for you._

_Now comes to the true test of the entire plan. Do you trust me? If so, do you trust me enough to give up control of everything, including your sense of sight and the knowledge of where you're going? I know you trust Tank with your life, so you're going to have to trust both of us to take care of you if you want this to succeed._

_At 5:45, be dressed in what I've laid out on the bed. Wear the cufflinks I got you earlier in the week and the money clip if you would, please. I love your hair down, but if you feel the need to wear it up, there's a new leather hair tie there for you on the bed._

_When you're dressed, bring the silk scarf down to the control room. You'll be met and blindfolded and then brought to an undisclosed location to meet me. Please don't fight me or your escort on this, Carlos. It's important to me._

_You're off for the night as of right now. Don't worry, Batman. Headquarters is going to be fine tonight. Tank has it covered. I'll meet you later and you'll find out everything then._

_I love you, Carlos. More than any other words can describe, you are my everything, for always._

_Love,  
Stephanie_

~oOo~

I looked at my watch. I had just over an hour, which was plenty of time for me to get ready. I decided to call Steph.

"Hello?" an only slightly familiar voice answered.

"Uh, is this Stephanie Plum's phone?" I asked, trying to see if I'd pushed the wrong button.

"Yes, it is. Ranger, this is Mary Lou. Steph is busy and can't come to the phone. She said to tell you to get ready and she'll see you in just over an hour. Bye!"

I hung up the phone, laughing. That was my Babe, all right.

I went to take a shower and grabbed my new red boxers from on top of the nightstand to wear tonight. I figured it would make Steph happy, and whatever I could do to help that, I would.

By the time I was dressed and had my hair dry, flowing loosely around my shoulders, it was time to head downstairs. I grabbed the blindfold and headed down to five.

~oooOOOooo~

**Tank's POV**

I was looking at the clock in my office when Binkie in the control room called. "Tank, Ranger's here looking for you."

"Tell him I'll be right there and that if he wants to live, he'll close his eyes."

I turned left out of my office and walked into the room with Binkie, Junior, and Ranger. His eyes were closed so he couldn't see the suit I had on.

"Good to see you can follow instructions, man," I told him.

"I didn't do it for you," he growled.

I laughed. "I know. It's all for Bomber. Don't worry, it'll be worth it. Now, give me the scarf and turn around. And if you can see something and don't tell me, you'll be in trouble."

"What are you going to do? Take me down?"

"Hell, no, Boss... I'm going to tell Stephanie." I was playing dirty and he knew it.

I tied the scarf around his eyes, making sure he couldn't see anything, and then I took his arm, told the guys goodbye, and we headed for the elevator.

He was silent until we began driving, and then his usually quiet car voice turned into pleading.

"Where are we going?"

"How long will it take to get there?"

"What does Steph have planned for tonight?"

Finally, I couldn't stand any more. "Look, Ranger. Here's how it is. I'm not going to give you any answers, okay? If you're pissed about that, talk it out with Steph later, but if I were you, I'd hold off on anger till you get to the rest of the evening. Now, shut the fuck up. You're disturbing my zone."

He sat as still and as quiet as a stone pillar until we began to slow to turn into the parking lot at Rossini's. I saw him reach up to try to take off the blindfold, but I swatted his hand away.

"Not yet. Keep it on until you're told."

"Fine," he huffed. He sat back and waited until I got him out of the truck and led him to the door of the restaurant.

"Thanks, Tank," Steph's voice floated out from the darkness. She stepped into the light, looking stunning in a red dress and heels, and motioned for me to go ahead and go inside.

I gave her Ranger's arm and went inside to join the party.

The last thing I heard before the door closed was, "Babe."


	7. Chapter 7: The Party

_Warning for lemony goodness!_

~oOo~

**Chapter 7: The Party  
Stephanie's POV**

This was it, the moment of truth. He was either going to be pissed off or excited.

Surprising me, Ranger swept me up to his chest, carefully finding my mouth before kissing the daylights out of me. "I love you so very much, Stephanie," he said as his lips descended upon mine again.

As soon as we parted, I moved my hands up to remove the blindfold and whispered to him, "I love you, too, Carlos." I folded it up carefully, put it in his pocket, and then took his hand and said, "Let's go eat."

He nodded and followed me into the restaurant. I swallowed hard and led him toward the side room.

~oooOOOooo~

**Ranger's POV**

The first thing I noticed when we entered the restaurant was how quiet it seemed. Then I noticed there wasn't anyone waiting at the reception desk. Something clicked in my head and I realized there'd been several familiar black vehicles out in the parking lot when Steph took off the blindfold. I wondered who else was here besides some of my guys.

We turned the corner and my eyes widened as I caught sight of four rather large tables all alone in one room, filled with people I knew. I turned to look into the other room and saw that it was empty.

Looking at Stephanie, I raised an eyebrow. "The entire restaurant?"

She smiled softly at me just as the group began to shout, "_Surprise!_"

I turned back to the room and smiled at everyone.

"I can't believe you pulled this off!" I said quietly to Steph. "I figured you had something planned, but this?" I made a sweeping gesture of the room.

Suddenly, I heard, "Ranger!" and then Julie was in front of me, her arms wrapped around my waist.

I picked her up and gave her a gentle hug. When I set her down, she had tears in her eyes.

"Julie, when did you get here? Are you staying with _Abuela_ and _Abuelo_?"

"I got here yesterday. Yes, I'm staying with them until tomorrow, and then Steph asked if I minded coming and staying with the two of you at RangeMan. Ella already has my room ready and everything. Is that okay? I really want to stay with you for the week," she rambled.

"Of course it is! You got to take an entire week off school? Your mom and dad okayed that with the school?" At her nod, I grinned. "I'm glad you're here, _querida_. We'll have plenty of time to talk, okay?"

She nodded and hugged Steph before I wrapped my other arm around her and pulled her with us a few steps farther into the room.

"Come on, Batman. Let's go say hello to all your friends and then sit down for dinner."

We stopped at the first table inside the door, and I looked around at some of our friends and family. "Mary Lou, Lenny," I said, shaking hands with them before turning to Stephanie's sister and brother-in-law, as well as Eddie and his wife. "Thank you for coming. Are you enjoying the night out without the kids so far? Sally, you and Diesel make sure everyone is kept entertained, okay? Carl. Big Dog. Thanks for helping keep the peace with this rowdy bunch." I grinned, winking at the table. "Thank you all for coming, really. It means a lot."

"Enjoy the party," Stephanie said as we moved on.

Turning to the next table, I was surprised to see all my siblings and their spouses, along with Ella and Louis.

"How in the world could my entire family have known and I hadn't heard a word?" I growled at them. "Celia, Maria, Pilar, Adriana," I said to my sisters and sister-in-law, motioning at the guys. "Thank you for dragging them all along with you. I'm sure they'd rather be anywhere else." They all pretended to be in pain about having to be here, and we all laughed.

"Ella, Louis. I'm so glad you came." I leaned down and kissed Ella's cheek before shaking Louis's hand.

We moved on to the third table and I put on my blank face. "Men. Ladies," I said quietly. Unable to help myself, I grinned. "If you all are here, who the hell is watching RangeMan?"

Tank spoke up. "I got ya covered, Bossman. Junior, Ram, Vince, Woody, Binkie, and some contract workers are all on. I'm on call if anything goes wrong. Just relax and enjoy yourself." He looked at Lula next to him. "I certainly am."

I nodded once and turned to look at the group. Aside from Tank and Lula, Steph had managed to get Bobby and Kat, Hal and Connie, Lester and Annie, Cal and Katie, Hector and Steven, and even Silvio and Amber to the party.

"Silvio, glad to see you and Amber could make it up from Miami. Have fun, you guys. We don't get to take a night off very often, especially as a group, so everyone enjoy themselves."

Steph and I smiled to the table and moved on to the final group. Both sets of parents and grandmothers were there, along with the three empty seats for Julie, Steph, and myself. After giving all the women a hug and kiss on the cheek, I shook hands with my father and Frank and then held the chairs out for Steph and Julie on either side of mine before finally sitting down myself.

Immediately after sitting, a waiter came over and asked if I needed anything to drink.

"Everyone else placed their order when they got here, Carlos," Stephanie said at my curious expression. "I ordered you the grilled halibut with veggies and rice."

I nodded at the waiter and asked for a Corona with lime. Turning to Julie, I asked about the plane ride to Trenton. Conversation flowed around all the tables, and soon, dinners began arriving. I kept my eyes moving around everyone, every once in a while coming back to Steph to smile over at her.

"Thank you, Babe. This is terrific. I love you," I whispered quietly to her during a lull in the conversation.

As soon as we were finished with dinner, the plates were all cleared.

Stephanie stood up and pulled me to the little stage in the front of the room. "Hi, everyone. Thank you all for coming. I know it means a lot to Carlos and myself both to have you here. I hope you're all enjoying yourselves. As everyone knows, Carlos's birthday is in two days. I have one last gift for him, and then anyone else that wants to speak can come up."

She handed me another jeweler's box. Opening the lid, I saw a beautiful slide pendant that matched my new cufflinks and money clip. It was hanging on a thin gold chain. Engraved down the center was the word: _Forever_.

I turned to Steph and whispered, "Yeah, Babe. Forever. Help me put it on?"

She nodded and then took the chain and put it around my neck as I held my hair up. Then, grinning at the crowd, I pulled her to me, dipped her as if we were dancing, and placed a long, intimate kiss on her lips that left us both breathless.

For the next twenty minutes, we listened to many of my friends and family tell stories or just give their best wishes. Tank took it upon himself to break the ice and stood up first, telling a story of when we were on a mission and I wasn't quite as aware of my surroundings as I should have been. I'd ended up squatting in a patch of poison ivy. Just the reminder of the story had me reaching around to rub my ass.

After the laughter died down, Celia headed to the stage and told a story about my first day of second grade, when I let her cut my hair. "Thank goodness a boy's hair can be easily fixed! Our mother just shaved his head!"

Everyone laughed again and I felt Steph reach up to run her fingers through my shoulder-length hair.

"I like it so much better like this," she whispered to me. "It's incredibly sexy."

I grinned at her and put my hand under the table high up on her thigh.

"Not sexier than you are in that smokin' dress, Babe. Don't think I haven't noticed. I want to slip outside and take you right against the truck, but knowing everyone's in here has kept the need at bay. Keep talking like that, though, and I may not be able to control myself." My fingers crawled a bit higher, finding the bare skin above the top of her thigh highs.

After a few more embarrassing stories, Sally Sweet came up on stage. The lights dimmed, and suddenly, a waiter was approaching our table with a plate of tiramisu in his hands. There was a single lit candle sticking out of it.

"Okay, Carlos, make a wish. When he blows it out, everyone sing," Sally said to the group.

~oooOOOooo~

**Stephanie's POV**

Ranger closed his eyes briefly and then opened them to look at me under lowered lashes before blowing out the candle. Sally started in on the birthday song, but I couldn't even open my mouth. Ranger had me pinned with his gaze and I was powerless to do anything but watch him.

As soon as the group finished singing, the spell was broken, and I took a deep breath as the waiters began bringing out dessert for everyone. I had ordered the chocolate mousse for myself, and knowing how much it would tease Ranger, I made sure to let my enjoyment of each bite be heard low enough that only he could hear. When his hand crept higher on my thigh and his fingers tightened a bit, I knew he was not only hearing it, but enjoying it, as well.

Soon after dessert, the group began to head home. All the couples with children left first, claiming the need to rescue all the babysitters that had been called out tonight. Following them were Diesel, Sally, and the other cops.

Ella and Louis came over next. "Call me tomorrow when you're ready for breakfast," Ella said.

"Thank you for coming, both of you," I said, hugging her. "I'm glad you could be here to celebrate his birthday with everyone else who means so much to him. You're both family and it wouldn't have been right without you."

She returned my hug, and they followed the others out the door.

We turned to look at the remaining crowd. Everyone at our table looked about done in, so I turned to my mom, dad, and grandma. "Dad, why don't you take them home now? Carlos and I will come for dinner next week, and we'll bring Julie, okay?"

My dad nodded and began to gather the other two up. I saw my mom hug Maria, Ranger's mother, and the two of them whispered something back and forth for a minute before turning to us with silent tears in their eyes. Before I could ask, my family was gone and the rest of the table was standing up, as well.

"Carlos, we're going to head home, too. Call us tomorrow and we'll make arrangements for you to get Julie. Maybe you and Stephanie can come over for dinner and take her home with you then?" Ricardo, Ranger's father asked, looking at me.

I nodded and stood up to give them all hugs. "Thank you for coming," I whispered to his mother. "And thank you for the greatest gift of my life. Your son is one in a million."

She nodded, smiling at me, and said, "He's a lucky man, too, Stephanie. You're a great match, you and my son. I couldn't be happier for either one of you." Then she pulled her husband close as they all walked out of the restaurant.

Ranger pulled me over to the RangeMan table.

The guys pulled up two extra chairs and Tank called over the waiter. "Round of tequila shots for everyone," he said.

We chatted until the shots arrived, and then he held up his drink. "To Ranger! Happy birthday, man!"

We all drank to Ranger, and then the guys all looked at each other.

"We're going to head to the club," Lester said. "Want to join us?"

I looked at Ranger, whose nearly pitch black eyes were looking down at me.

"No," he said. "I think Steph and I are going to head out of here now, but thanks. Talk to you guys tomorrow. Ladies, it was good to see you."

I barely had time to nod at everyone and grab my purse before Ranger had me at the door. As soon as we hit the fresh air, he pulled me to the Cayenne. "You drove this here, correct?"

When I nodded, he pulled me to him and backed me up until I was pressed close between the door and his solid body.

"Do you know how much I want you right now, Stephanie?" he growled quietly.

I pressed my hips against his and whispered, "I think I have a fairly good idea."

His hands snaked up under my dress and came into contact with nothing but skin. I watched his throat move as he swallowed and said, "You've been wearing nothing under that dress all night?"

I nodded, and suddenly, his mouth was on mine, our tongues battling furiously for control. He sucked my lower lip into his mouth and bit down before swiping his tongue across it to remove the sting. He pulled away from me. "I want you. I need you. Right here, right now."

At my quick nod, he used his hand to reach down between us and undo the button on his slacks. I heard the quiet sound of the zipper being pulled down, and then he reached into his clothes and pulled out his hard cock.

I looked down and saw the flash of red from the new boxers. "You wore them! I can't wait to see—"

The rest of my words were cut off as his mouth came down on mine again, just as he moved between my thighs, pulled my legs up to wrap around his waist, and slammed himself fully into me.

I cried out against his lips, feeling complete and whole as he continued to thrust his hips. At that moment, I didn't care who could come walking out the door and see us. All I cared about was the feeling of him moving in and out of me so hard and fast that it felt like a jackhammer. I tightened my grip on his arms and began moving my hips to meet his.

Two minutes of hard and fast strokes later, we could barely breathe as he reached down between us and flicked my clit twice, sending us both over the edge. We stood there for several minutes, unable to move, before I finally had the strength for him to let me down.

I leaned over, wrapped my arms around him, and whispered quietly into his ear, "Let's go home, Carlos. I have other, more private, ways of wishing you happy birthday."

He quickly put himself back together and opened the door for me, taking the keys from my outstretched hand. "I love you, Stephanie Michelle Plum," he whispered, looking at me quickly while he drove.

"Only as much as I love you," I returned.

Our entwined fingers held the promise of what was still to come, but our hearts were both completely at peace.

_**The End**_

_**(Check out the sequel, The Next Step!)**_


End file.
